Guanajuato, the True Gem of Mexico

    In all my travels if there is one place I wish I would have spent more time in, it's Guanajuato, Mexico, a unique place that is worlds away from how the American media portrays Mexico. Guanajuato is a true hidden charm, its almost like someone transplanted a city from Spain in the middle of the Mexican highlands.

   Guanajuato is rich in silver and was founded in 1554 by the Spanish to mine the precious metal. located in Central Mexico in the state with the same name, Guanajuato is over 6,000 feet in altitude set in narrow valleys. Staying in nearby San Miguel de Allende, the bus ride to Guanajuato was very interesting. I enjoyed the desert scenery and seeing the interesting people boarding from the local ranches to go to the city.

   Unlike many Mexican cities which are set on the grid pattern, the city planners had to set the city streets with the lay of the rugged land, building the streets and roads around the valleys and hills. The streets were a pleasure to walk around and were impossible to get lost on, because if I found my way to a dead end alley, all I had to do was walk downhill to the city center.

       The narrow alleys in the hills were very interesting to walk, almost like a maze. I walked them for a couple of hours, not because I was lost, but because I was amazed that I was in a unique place, even from other places in Mexico. After walking for a while, I worked up an appetite, and being an adventurous eater, I decided on the local market because that is the best place in a Mexican city to sample the local cooking. The market itself was interesting, it was a two story building built in the early 1900's with handicraft vendors towards the walls outside and food vendors towards the middle. There was so much to choose from among the food vendors, but I settled for pork tacos and guava juice all for about 30 pesos (under $3).

    After I got my fill at the market, I boarded the cable car that takes you uphill to the best viewpoint in the city. The top view was amazing as you could see the whole city center and surrounding hills. I stayed there for about 30 minutes, snapping pictures and just gazing at the city. Instead of taking the cable car back down for the return trip, I decided to walk down, figuring I would take my time to savor the sights. I took a stairway down and wandered down a narrow maze of streets and seen on the little map I had that I was near Callejon de Beso (Alley of the Kiss). The Callejon de Beso is an alley that is so narrow that two houses on opposite sides almost touch at the balconies. There is only about a two foot gap. The Callejon is a local legend. It is fabled that a local aristocrat's daughter fell in love with a poor miner and met their tragic ends there.

   Guanajuato is in the historic heartland of Mexico and it is in the region where many of the ideas for independence from Spain comes from. You can feel not only the history there, but experience a living culture that is unique. I would highly recommend if anyone wants to experience the 'real Mexico' to make Guanajuato one of the main stops. It is a wonderful place and is truly Mexico's gem.